Plateless planter

ABSTRACT

A plateless planter wherein rotating fingers pick up seeds, move them in a groove in the periphery of a drum surrounding the fingers to a point where the groove is interrupted with depressions so that excess seed can drop out and return to the seed supply while the singulated seed is moved along the groove by the finger to a point of discharge.

United States Patent Inventor Maynard E. Walberg Waukesha, Wis. Appl.No. 843,544 Filed July 22, 1969 Patented Mar. 30, 1971 AssigneeAllis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company Milwaukee, Wis.

PLATELESS PLANTER 10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 221/220, 221/260, 221/277, 222/407, 111/77 Int. Cl A010 7/08Field of Search 221/203,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,371,343 3/1921 Bow222/407X 1,908,085 5/1933 Udvary et a1. 221/277 Primary Examiner-LloydL. King Assistant Examiner-Michael 1. Mar

Attorneys-Kenneth C. McKivett, Charles L. Schwab and Robert B. BensonABSTRACT: A plateless planter wherein rotating fingers pick up seeds,move them in a groove in the periphery of a drum surrounding the fingersto a point where the groove is interrupted with depressions so thatexcess seed can drop out and return to the seed supply while thesingulated seed is moved along the groove by the finger to a pointofdischarge.

Patented March 30, 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented March 30, 19713,572,547

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PLATELESS PLANTER This invention relates to a new andimproved seed planter of the type intended to be attached to the usualtractor and which will deposit seeds into a furrow formed in the ground.

An object of this invention is to provide a seed planter which willdeposit single seeds into the ground at a desired distance apart andwherein the distance between seeds can be controlled at the will of theoperator.

Another object of this invention is to provide a seed planter which willeliminate skipping during the depositing of seeds and will alsoeliminate the depositing of doubles.

Another object of this invention is to provide a seed planter whichcomprises a single compact unit.

A further object of this invention is to provide a high-speed planterwhich is capable of accomplishing the aforementioned objects at the highrate of speed required by modern farming.

A further object of this invention is to provide a planter which iscapable of planting a variety of seeds, seed sizes and shapes withoutthe need of changing parts therein.

A further object of this invention is to provide a seed singulatornarrow enough to follow double disc openers.

A further object of this invention is to provide a seed planter of fewmoving parts.

These and other objects of the present invention are set forth ingreater detail in the following description having reference to theattached drawings wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention isshown.

FIG. 1 is a an isometric view of a planter embodying the invention withsome parts removed for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the planter shownin FIG. 1 with a side removed;

FIG. 3 is a section view taken on line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section view taken on line IV-IV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of one of the seed fingers shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevation view similar to FIG. 2 showing analternative embodiment of the invention with the seed finger in pickupposition; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 with the seed finger shown positionedadjacent the upper portion of the seed drum.

The reference character 10 designates the planter unit as a whole.Referring to FIG. 1, the planter 10 includes a conventional hopper (notshown) having a depending portion 11 for providing a seed passage to acircular housing or drum 12 through opening 13 in back member 14thereof. Seeds from the hopper descending through tube 11 will controlseed height in the drum to substantially the same as the upper edge ofopening 13. Drum 12 is provided with another opposed front member 16together with circumferential band 17 forming the drum 12. Band 17 isprovided with a peripheral groove 18 therein as shown in FIG. 3. Groove18 is provided with an opening 19 forming a seed passage from groove 18to discharge tube 2]. Discharge tube 21 is attached at its upper end todrum l2 and at its lower end to furrow-opener 22 so that seeds depositedin tube 21 will drop into a furrow opened by furrow opener as theplanter moves along a field being planted. Multiple grooves and multiplerows of fingers may be used to increase the capacity of the planter.

A shaft 23 is journaled in sidewalls 14 and 16 and in turn has attachedthereto a rotor structure 24 positioned between walls 14 and 16. Rotorstructure 24 includes a hub portion 26 to which are attached a number ofseed fingers 27. As shown in FIG. 2, three fingers are attached andordinarily many more would be used and this would not alter the essenceof this invention. Shaft 23 is eccentrically mounted in plates 16 and 14so that fingers 27 will bear harder against band 17 at the lower portionthereof for a purpose to be discussed later.

Rotor structure 24 has a pulley 18 attached to shaft 23 at a pointoutside of drum 12. Pulley 28 is driven by pulley 29 through belt 31.Pulley 29 is attached to ground wheel 32 for movement therewith. Ifdesired, pulley 28 may be driven by any desired means not necessarily abelt, such as a chain or even gears.

The shank portion 33 of fingers 27 is low carbon steel whereas thedistal portion 34 of fingers 27 is spring steel. Portions 34 is providedwith a hemispherical indentation 36 (see FIG. 2) which is complimentaryto the groove 18 in band 17 so that as finger 27 is rotated indentation36 fits into groove 18. The direction of rotation is as shown by thearrow in FIG. 2. Groove 18 is provided with a deepened portion 37 forthe purpose of singulating seeds.

Referring to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, seed fingers 38 areattached to the periphery of disc 39 for rotation therewith.Conventional means can be used for such attachment disc 39 is mounted onshaft 23 for rotation therewith. Seed fingers 38 are made of springsteel so that when such fingers are in the seed pickup or lowest portionof their cycle, as shown in FIG. 6, the fingers will be biased againstthe inner surface of band 17 so that the fingers will assume theposition shown with a relatively large angle A providing space forpicking up seed. The seed fingers 38 are also provided with ahemispherical indentation 36 which is complementary to the groove 18. Asshown in FIG. 6 radius 40 is the radius of disc 39. Radius 41 is theradius of drum 12 minus the eccentricity of shaft 23 relative to drum 12which produces the aforesaid bias on spring fingers 38 when sopositioned.

Referring to FIG. 7, it is seen that seed finger 38 is shown in theopposite position to that shown in FIG. 6 or in other words seed finger38 is shown in its highest position wherein the seed finger has beenpermitted to expand or the bias therein has been reduced so that thedistal portion of the finger is assuming a position substantiallyparallel to the inner surface of drum l2 and angle B is relativelysmall. Radius 42 is the radius of drum 12 plus the eccentricity of shaft23 relative to drum 12 which provides space for finger 38 to expand tothe position shown in FIG. 7.

Accordingly, it is seen that fingers 38 are provided with an aggressivebias in their lower position when picking up seed but this bias isreduced as the fingers move upwardly and this bias has beensubstantially reduced at the time the fingers move over portion 37 whichremoves any seeds in excess of one.

The operation of the plantefis as follows:

As the planter 10 is drawn over a field, furrow opener 22 opens a furrowand ground wheel 32 drives sprocket 29 which in turn drives belt 31which is drivingly connected to rotor 24 through pulley 28. Rotor 24 isdriven in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 2. The individualseed fingers 27 rotate with their distal portion 34 leading the finger.This distal portion dips into the supply of seeds contained in drum 12which will be filled to a level of approximately the upper edge ofopening 13. Because of the eccentric relation between shaft 23 and drum12 the fingers are pressed more firmly against the band 17 in the areaof the seeds than above it. This additional pressure helps the fingersto singulate the seeds so that only one seed should be moved up bydistal portion 34 from the seed supply rather than the two seeds whichare shown in the deepened portion 37 in FIG. 2. As the finger leaves theseed supply with one or more seeds being moves in peripheral groove 18ahead of indentation 36 as shown in relation to lower right-hand finger27 in FIG. 2, the seed is moved along the peripheral groove 18 untildeepened portion 37 is reached. At this point if there is more than oneseed being transported by the finger, the enlargement 37in the grooveprovides space for the extra seeds to drop back into the supply of seedsbelow. If desired more than one of these deepened pockets 37 may be usedfor singulating the seeds. When finger 27 reaches outlet 19 the singleseed remaining in the finger and groove 18 drops into opening 19 anddown through tube 21 into the furrow formed by furrow opener 22.

It is apparent that the distance between planted seeds can be varied bychanging the number of fingers and by changing the speed of shaft 23 orby altering both.

I claim:

1. A seed planter comprising: a circular band having a seed dischargeopening on the periphery thereof and having front and back membersattached to said band for closing same, and having a seed-receivingopening at a lower portion of one of said members, a rotatable shaftjournaled in said back member, at least one spring finger connected tosaid shaft for rotation therewith, said band having an outwardlyextending groove about the periphery thereof, said finger being providedwith an indented midportion fitting into said groove for guiding saidfinger during rotation thereof, said groove being of a depthsubstantially equal to the minimum dimension of a seed, said fingerselecting a seed in said groove at the lower end of said band and thenmoving said seed along said groove by contact with said indentation andthe distal end of said finger to said point of discharge.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 and wherein said indentation isprovided with the same radial dimensions as said groove to provide acomplimentary fit therebetween.

3. The combination recited in claim 1 and wherein said shaft isjournaled in said back member eccentric to said band so that the upperportion of said shaft is spaced a greater distance away from the top ofthe band than the lower portion of said shaft is spaced from the bottomof said band so that bias of said spring finger is downwardly againstthe bottom of the band during the seed pickup portion of its cycle andis greater than the bias of said spring finger when at its highestposition.

4. The combination recited in claim 3 and wherein said groove isdeepened in an upper portion thereof to provide an escape route forseeds in excess of one which may have been picked up by said finger.

5. The combination recited in claim 3 and wherein the portion of saidfinger extending from said indentation to the distal end of said fingerextends substantially parallel to the inside of said band when saidfinger is in its highest position and has a width substantially equal tothe width of said groove.

6. The combination recited in claim 5 and wherein said shaft is rotatedin a direction so that the distal end of said finger is the leadingportion thereof.

7. The combination recited in claim 3 and wherein the portion of saidfinger extending from said indentation to the distal end of said fingeris at an aggressive angle to the inside band surface of said housingwhen said finger is in its seed pickup portion of its cycle.

8. The combination in claim 7 and wherein the distal portion of saidfinger is spring steel.

9. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said groove issemicircular in cross section and wherein said indentation in saidfinger is hemispherical dimensioned to be recieved in said groove incomplementary relation thereto.

10. The combination recited in claim 6 and wherein a disc memberattached to said shaft forms a support for a spring steel fingerportion.

1. A seed planter comprising: a circular band having a seed dischargeopening on the periphery thereof and having front and back membersattached to said band for closing same, and having a seed-receivingopening at a lower portion of one of said members, a rotatable shaftjournaled in said back member, at least one spring finger connected tosaid shaft for rotation therewith, said band having an outwardlyextending groove about the periphery thereof, said finger being providedwith an indented midportion fitting into said groove for guiding saidfinger during rotation thereof, said groove being of a depthsubstantially equal to the minimum dimension of a seed, said fingerselecting a seed in said groove at the lower end of said band and thenmoving said seed along said groove by contact with said indentation andthe distal end of said finger to said point of discharge.
 2. Thecombination recited in claim 1 and wherein said indentation is providedwith the same radial dimensions as said groove to provide acomplimentary fit therebetween.
 3. The combination recited in claim 1and wherein said shaft is journaled in said back member eccentric tosaid band so that the upper portion of said shaft is spaced a greaterdistance away from the top of the band than the lower portion of saidshaft is spaced from the bottom of said band so that bias of said springfinger is downwardly against the bottom of the band during the seedpickup portion of its cycle and is greater than the bias of said springfinger when at its highest position.
 4. The combination recited in claim3 and wherein said groove is deepened in an upper portion thereof toprovide an escape route for seeds in excess of one which may have beenpicked up by said finger.
 5. The combination recited in claim 3 andwherein the portion of said finger extending from said indentation tothe distal end of said finger extends substantially parallel to theinside of said band when said finger is in its highest position and hasa width substantially equal to the width of said groove.
 6. Thecombination recited in claim 5 and wherein said shaft is rotated in adirection so that the distal end of said finger is the leading portionthereof.
 7. The combination recited in claim 3 and wherein the portionof said finger extending from said indentation to the distal end of saidfinger is at an aggressive angle to the inside band surface of saidhousing when said finger is in its seed pickup portion of its cycle. 8.The combination in claim 7 and wherein the distal portion of said fingeris spring steel.
 9. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein saidgroove is semicircular in cross section and wherein said indentation insaid finger is hemispherical dimensioned to be recieved in said groovein complementary relation thereto.
 10. The combination recited in claim6 and whereIn a disc member attached to said shaft forms a support for aspring steel finger portion.